


The Choosing

by twistedheroine



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anti-Hero, Dark Arts, Dark Magic, Enthusiastic Consent, F/M, Female Anti-Hero, Implied Non-Con, Implied/Referenced Dubious Consent, Post-Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Sorta Jane Austen Inspired, What if Harry Potter lost, bad guys are more fun, dubcon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-30
Updated: 2020-04-30
Packaged: 2021-02-19 05:16:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 17,875
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22039105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/twistedheroine/pseuds/twistedheroine
Summary: *originally posted many years ago on HPFF. slight adjustments and additional chapters added.*The Order of the Phoenix is destroyed. Harry Potter is dead.The Battle of Hogwarts was the defining moment that ushered in a new age of Dark supremacy in wizarding Britain. Its survivors now must establish a new way of life where Blood Status is everything.In response to the diminishing pureblood population, the Dark Lord decreed that there shall be a campaign of re-population. The Ministry of Magic unveiled and now enforces a new annual tradition known as The Choosing.For pureblood girls coming of age, The Choosing is life changing.
Relationships: Astoria Greengrass/Draco Malfoy, Lucius Malfoy/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 7
Kudos: 53





	1. Chapter 1

**PROLOGUE**

The Order of the Phoenix is destroyed. Harry Potter is dead. The Dark Lord now spreads his poisonous influence throughout the rest of Europe. New Deatheater Charters are gaining power and new fronts of war are forming in France, Germany, Norway, and Romania.

The Battle of Hogwarts was the defining moment that ushered in a new age of Dark supremacy in wizarding Britain. Its survivors now must establish a new way of life where Blood Status is everything. Purebloods sit at the top of a violently enforced hierarchy where they reap the best in everything from jobs to marriage contracts. Those wizards unfortunate enough to be considered impure are subject to a system of taxation and have limits placed on their freedoms where the more diluted the blood, the more muggle ancestry a wizard has, the higher the taxes and lesser the privileges.

In response to the diminishing pureblood population, the Dark Lord decreed that there shall be a campaign of re-population. The Ministry of Magic unveiled and now enforces a new annual tradition known as The Choosing.

For pureblood girls coming of age, The Choosing is life changing.

***


	2. Chapter 2

“Papers,” an older witch with horn-rimmed glasses called out over the gathering crowd at the gates. “Have your papers ready for inspection. Anyone without papers will be denied entry. No exceptions.”

Venus Argaunt rifled through the pockets of her overcloak looking for her Official Pureblood Status slip. She cursed and colour rose to her normally ghostly white cheeks. “This can’t happen, this cannot be happening!”

“I have everything here, darling,” her mother Celestia assured her with a smile. 

Venus breathed a sigh of relief as she took the miniscule roll of parchment into her own hand. “Thank you, Mum. I really need to get better at keeping track of it.”

“Yes, you do,” her father agreed. He kept reaching into his pocket to grasp for his own papers every few minutes, as if making sure they were still there. Venus rolled her eyes and turned away from him. 

_Please don’t embarrass me tonight,_ she thought.

Mikken Argaunt was not a handsome man. He had watery eyes and thin greying hair with thin grey-looking skin to match. He continually fidgeted, a habit Venus found unforgivably irritating. Fortunately, Venus took after her mother who had much more refined features. The female Argaunts were petite, with long black hair that contrasted their paleness in an eerie but pleasing way. Apart from their age, the only physical difference between the two women were their eyes. Celestia’s were an icy blue, while Venus had eyes so dark and intense that not a few caught in their glare were left feeling unnerved. 

Venus and her mother had no trouble with their papers at the checkpoint. Mikken, as expected, had to be questioned further. Venus took the time to admire the estate grounds. They were too far back to view the manor house, but what she could see only heightened her excitement. The lawns were perfectly manicured, and exotic orchids lined the gravel path they meandered down. There were enormous oak trees and wispy willows that must have been centuries old judging by the girth of their trunks and the reach of their branches. To the left, Venus spied a koi pond, and in the distance to the right was what looked like a menagerie for rare creatures.

Celestia smiled at the look of awe on her daughter’s face. “They used to keep a unicorn there.” 

Venus’s mouth hung open in a little ‘o’ shape and she craned her neck, trying to get a better view of the paddocks. “Used to?” she asked.

“It died. It was quite horrible actually,” Celestia said in a low voice, leaning towards her daughter conspiratorially. “There was an outbreak of rabies, a hippogriff went mad and attacked the poor beast. They had to put it down. It was very hushed up, and would have been a scandal if the Daily Prophet found out a unicorn died so bloodily at Malfoy Manor. I was in fifth year at Hogwarts I think, maybe sixth. ”

Venus frowned a little. “Wait, how do you even know about it then?”

Celestia smiled mischievously. “I used to date Lucius Malfoy, before your father. Speaking of the silly fool, here he comes.” She hushed Venus with a subtle hand gesture before he came into earshot.

Mikken Argaunt was sweaty and out of breath from jogging to catch up with his family. Venus curled her lip in distaste and picked up her pace. 

When Malfoy Manor proper came into view she thought she might faint with excitement. It was much larger than she anticipated, and done in the Wizarding Antiquity style of architecture, meaning it was nearly as old as Hogwarts. Venus did a mental overview to gauge her readiness. Her dress was sleeveless black lace with a small train on the bottom and a deep v on the top, revealing her decolletage. Her pin-straight hair hung loose down to her ribcage and she wore a simple white gold headpiece adorned with one teardrop pearl that dangled on her forehead. It was imperative that she stand out from the crowd and make a good impression tonight if she hoped to make a decent match at the Choosing. It was the first party of her coming out year. 

“Are you ready?” Her mother leaned over her shoulder to whisper in her ear. 

Venus nodded and took a deep breath. She stepped forward, surrendering herself to the snake pit.

***

  
  


“Oh no, they got you too,” Ginny cried out and ran to Luna. She embraced her tightly, feeling as though she might burst into tears.

“Yes, well I surrendered myself actually,” Luna smiled but it didn’t reach her orb-like eyes.

“You what?! Why would you ever submit yourself to this….to this...nightmare?” 

The redhead no longer looked tearful, but like she might explode and hit someone.

Luna patted her arm and gazed off at the opening door. A petrified girl in a red ballgown was shoved inside before the was door quickly shut again and they heard the metallic clicks of a key twisting in the lock. They didn’t recognize her and she went off to sit on a lounge in the corner by herself, shaking slightly.

“Again,” Ginny almost snarled and turned her glare back to her friend. “Why would you volunteer for this?”

“I made a bargain,” she answered quietly. “My father did the spell that made the astronomy tower collapse. Draco’s mom was crushed under the rubble. Lucius Malfoy was going to kill him. I wrote a letter to the ministry saying I would comply with the Choosing if they guaranteed my father’s safety.”

Ginny closed her eyes and for a moment the only sound was the quiet whimpering of the girl in the red dress. “Luna,” she began, trying to take the edge out of her voice. “You can’t trust the ministry, you can’t trust anyone anymore. You shouldn’t have done that.”

The door opened with a creak and they all jumped. Another girl dressed for a ball entered the room, this time without needing to be dragged. She said a small “thank you” to the man at the door, their gaoler, and brushed a stray brown curl out of her eyes.

Ginny and Luna struggled to hide their shocked faces. This girl was scarred massively, the raised red swirls of tissue covered her from cheek to who knows where- the dress she was wearing was high-necked, and the scars led a teasing trail past the hem, hinting at the destruction further down. 

She looked resigned but the way she held her head up high made it look as though she were determined to be positive. She caught sight of Luna and Ginny and suddenly a look of intense concern came over her face.

“Ginny. Ginny Weasley!” she started. She gazed at the pair of them, frozen, with a deep crease between her eyebrows and a frown pulling at the corner of her lips. 

Ginny tried to speak but could only croak. 

“Hello, Looney,” Lavender Brown nodded at Luna. 

Luna’s eyes widened and she unconsciously raised a hand to her own smooth neck. “What…”

Lavender brought her arms up to hug her torso, but jutted her chin out defiantly and held the stare. “Fenrir Greyback.”

The visible part of her neck was a ruined mess of reddish pink new skin, all shiny and taut. The left side of her face was smooth and untouched, but her right cheek caved in almost to the bone with ragged edges that drew to mind filed teeth and foul breath. Luna couldn’t help but think of those strips of flesh being torn away and shuddered, finally tearing her eyes away to rest on the floor. 

“You survived,” Ginny said with a sharp nod of her head. “That’s all that matters.”

Concern clouded over Lavender’s face again when she turned her eyes back to Ginny. “You’re not wearing the dress they gave you,” she stated.

Ginny was in regular witch’s robes, which obviously had seen better days. They were dirty and torn. She smelled like she slept in them as well but she grinned defiantly, shaking off her initial shock at seeing her old Gryiffindor housemate so changed, and crossed her arms. Luna seemed to just notice this as well. She herself was already dressed in a navy blue silk dress. She looked from Ginny to a crumpled black satin gown that was discarded in the corner of the room.

Lavender lifted up her dress and pulled a wand out of a discrete internal pocket at her calves. The other two girls gasped. “How do you-” “You’ll get caught!” 

She straightened up, gripping the wand firmly and pointed it at Ginny. “I’m allowed to have it,” she explained. “If you prove your loyalty, you will get your magic privileges back, but you _have_ to cooperate. Like wearing a dress if a Deatheater says wear a dress. Keep your head down, do as they say, and you’ll get your wand back. You’ll get out of the dungeon, too. I have my own room- and a real bed. So, put on the dress Ginny. This isn’t a joke.”

“I’m _not_ going out there to a fucking _ball_ when my friends and family are missing, murdered, or in prison!” Ginny exclaimed.

Lavender pursed her lips and muttered incantations while quickly flicking her wand at Ginny. Suddenly, Ginny was wearing the black dress, her hair was setting itself in an updo, makeup appeared on her face, and she screamed.

“I’m _not_ wearing this _disgusting-”_ she tried taking the dress off but Lavender stepped forward and slapped her hard across the face.

“You idiot! You don’t want to wear the dress? Fine. Go naked! Actually. Give everyone a show! Because they will, they will send you out there naked!” Lavender huffed.

Ginny was no longer fighting but simply stood there holding her cheek, too stunned to say anything while Luna hurried to pull the dress back up over her shoulders. The girl in the corner stopped crying long enough to stare.

Everyone snapped their heads towards the door when it suddenly opened and an elegantly dressed wizard with pockmarks on his face stepped inside. He raised his eyebrows when he noticed Ginny in her partially dressed state with Luna frozen on the spot grasping a corner of the still unzipped gown.

“It wouldn’t be the first time a, uh, _guest_ came to a coming out party without a dress on,” he smirked as his eyes took in Ginny’s uncovered skin. “If you don’t like the dress, I would be happy to escort you upstairs without it.”

Ginny clutched the dress to herself and rushed to do up the zipper, hands shaking slightly. The zipper caught and the man laughed cruelly as Luna and Lavender both had to help unstick it. Finally she was dressed, and the man indicated it was time to go. “Don’t make me drag you,” he growled.

***

“Coming out today, Miss Pansy Parkinson. Escorted by her parents…”

Venus snorted and her father hissed at her to be quiet. Pansy had been out two years already, had been to two Choosings and failed to be chosen by anyone. “Do you think it’s her personality or just her ugly dog face that makes everyone hate her?” Venus whispered to the girl in line ahead of her, making her snicker cruelly. This time both their fathers hushed them.

Two more pureblood girls were announced and they managed to stifle their excited laughter. “You’re next! Go! Go go go!” Venus squealed and gave her friend a little push towards the master of ceremonies.

“Coming out today, Astoria Greengrass…” Venus smiled when Astoria stepped out to the top of the spiral staircase. She had a view of her profile as she smiled at everyone clapping politely for her below in the ballroom but before she descended the stairs, Astoria looked back and gave her a wink.

“Coming out today, Venus Argaunt. Escorted by her parents Mikken and Celestia Argaunt.”

Her stomach dropped when she stepped out to the top of the landing and looked out over the ballroom. She finally got a clear view of just how packed it was. There must have been hundreds of witches and wizards dressed like royalty and all of them were clapping for her. _We are royalty._ She smiled shyly and blushed prettily as she descended the gently curving steps into the ballroom where Astoria was waiting for her at the foot of the stairs. They beamed at each other when they linked arms tightly and Venus had to suppress a squeal of utter delight. 

“Where should we even start? Oh gosh what do we even do now?” Astoria asked after politely greeting Venus’ parents.

“Let’s just explore for awhile and see who all is here,” Venus suggested.

Astoria stood on her tiptoes trying to peer over the heads of all the beautifully dressed witches and wizards. “Um, I think there’s champagne over there,” she gestured to the far left wall. “Get a drink first, maybe?”

Venus looked back at their parents, wondering if they minded. However they were too busy gossiping with Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass to notice the girls much, so instead she just tugged her friend into the throng of people. “We’ll find you later!” she hollered over her shoulder before any of them could protest.

Soon enough they each had a crystal flute in hand and began to stroll through the crowds still arm in arm. Venus did her best to look above it all. As they walked and sipped, the two girls commented on the gowns some of the other young witches wore, decided they were better dressed than most, and admired the utter elegance of the party in general. A few wizards stopped to watch them pass and would smile appreciatively. Twice they were asked if they were sisters, to which they simply laughed to each other and kept walking.

They did look like they could be sisters, with their matching dark hair and pale skin. Astoria was taller, however, and had her curly hair in a loose updo. She wore a dark green dress which Venus gushed about, claiming that she wanted her next party dress to be in that colour.

“You can just alter this one,” Astoria offered. “I like yours though. I almost wore black lace as well. It was so hard to decide what to wear!”

“We could just swap dresses for the next party,” Venus replied.

“That could be cute!”

“Ew, no. I was joking,” Venus scrunched up her nose. “That would be way too tacky, I would never forgive myself.”

They had circled the room twice now and taken in its splendour as much as possible in the midst of such a large crowd. They were heading back to the champagne bar for refills when they were intercepted by their parents.

“Ah, there you are Astoria!” Mr. Greengrass called out. The Greengrasses and Argaunts were now talking with another older wizard. He had long white blonde hair that went past his shoulders and absentmindedly tapped his foot with an ebony walking stick. Venus was taken aback by how effortlessly put together the man was, and decided he wore the most beautiful dress robes she’d ever seen.

“Astoria, this is Lucius Malfoy. Lucius, this is my youngest daughter,” Mr. Greengrass puffed his chest out with pride when introducing his daughter to their host. 

Lucius smiled graciously and brushed his lips over her hand. “Even more beautiful than your sister Daphne. How are you finding the party?”

Astoria’s eyes went wide as she realized just who she was talking to. “It- It’s lovely. Wonderful. Thank you,” she stammered, much to the amusement of the adults.

Venus waited impatiently to be introduced and was determined to make a better impression. Lucius Malfoy was such a high ranking Deatheater that she was in awe. To her extreme annoyance, however, his eyes lingered on Astoria’s face, which was now flushed in a charming shade of pink. Celestia was eager to have her daughter noticed as well and so she laid a hand on his forearm to get his attention. “Lucius, this is my-” she began.

She was cut off by the arrival of what looked to be a much younger version of their host. “How long must I stay this time, father?” he huffed contemptuously.

“Draco, have you met Miss Astoria Greengrass?” Lucius Malfoy inquired, choosing to ignore his son’s rudeness.

Draco glanced at Astoria, clearly uninterested. “Daphne’s sister.”

Astoria smiled sweetly and nodded. Venus stared daggers at her, no longer able to hide her annoyance. _Stop fawning over her_ she thought darkly.

“And you must be Celestia’s daughter,” Lucius finally said. His eyes drifted over her slowly. “There can be no doubt there, you look so very alike.”

Venus snapped out of her anger-filled reverie. Lucius smiled, looking down his pointed nose at her. “I apologise, I can’t seem to place your name,” he said.

“Venus,” she said confidently with her broadest smile. She held out her hand to be kissed. “Your estate is breathtaking. The manor house is from the Antiquity period, is it not?”

He smirked when she offered her hand, amused by her boldness, and paused with his eyebrows raised after he had kissed her fingers. “It is indeed. I must admit, I’m impressed by your knowledge of architecture.”

“It’s an interest of mine,” Venus felt victorious. She exaggerated her admiration for the high gilded ceilings of the ballroom. “Has this room been done in the French pre-modern style for very long?”

“I had it redone myself, actually, when I came into my inheritance,” Lucius answered, looking at Venus with new appreciation. “The Malfoy family has predominantly French ancestry. My late wife hated this room, she found it too...ostentatious.”

“I think it’s exquisite.”

“I agree,” he said, eyeing her curiously. “Exquisite.”

Her parents beamed. Draco rolled his eyes, making Astoria stifle a laugh. Venus held her head high, content to ignore them now that she had made a good impression on the most influential Deatheater in the country. The conversation moved on to current goings on in the Ministry of Magic and the staffing changes at Hogwarts. Draco stood off to the side not engaging with anyone while Astoria and Venus settled back into their previous discussion of everyone’s outfits. Venus felt a little sorry for being so annoyed at her friend earlier. They would often lash out at each other over petty jealousies, a common occurrence among Slytherins due to their ambitious nature. She vowed to be extra forgiving to Astoria for the rest of the evening.

A pair of stained oak doors to the left of the bottom of the staircase swung open and Venus felt a buzz of anticipation sweep through the room. Her ears filled with the soft rustle of skirts and whispering voices as the guests turned to see what was happening. A tall man in dress robes with an unfortunately pocked face stepped into the room, followed by four apprehensive looking young witches. Venus’s attention was drawn to the striking red hair of a witch she vaguely recognized from somewhere.

“Is that...is that a _Weasley?”_ she let slip a little too loud, and almost everyone heard the acidic inflection of her tone. Her expression morphed from confusion to disgust. Lucius raised an eyebrow and smirked at the sight of her outrage.

“Ladies and gentleman, most esteemed pureblood witches and wizards,” the pockmarked man began. “Welcome to yet another season of parties, courtship, and Choosings! I trust you are enjoying the splendid hospitality of our illustrious host, Lucius Malfoy. As you know, the Choosing is the right of purebloods only, by decree of the Dark Lord. However, due to the regrettable dilution of magical blood over the years it is his wish to pardon bloodtraiters whenever possible, with the condition that they be pure of blood and able to produce pureblood offspring.”

The Weasley girl glared ferociously at the crowd.

“And so, please allow me to introduce these freshly pardoned and newly eligible pureblood witches! Luna Lovegood, Ginny Weasley, Patricia Prewitt, and Lavender Brown!”

Polite applause ensued and the music resumed, the floating violins and clarinets once more busily playing away above their heads. The four pardoned bloodtraiters hovered awkwardly at the edge of the room. Venus shot them one last dirty look before turning away. She noticed Draco peering over at the witches and she wondered at the uncomfortable look that passed over his eyes before his features settled into an unreadable expression. But it was no matter, she was not about to allow some disgraced Potter supporters ruin her evening. 

***

The scattered applause abated quickly. Scores of intimidating witches and wizards turned away to resume whatever it was they were doing before Luna and the others came out. Luna let out a tiny sigh now that she was no longer the centre of attention. She tugged at the tight bodice of her dress, feeling uncomfortable and overwhelmed. She could sense Ginny fuming next to her. “This is my nightmare,” her friend hissed through clenched teeth.

“Life is only as bad as you allow it to be,” Lavender chimed in. She flagged down a house elf carrying a tray of drinks and snatched up a couple shots of firewhiskey. She downed one immediately and set to nursing the second.

“Are you thick? We’re surrounded by Deatheaters! Worse than that, we are being paraded about like cattle at auction!” Ginny snapped. Blinded by her rage at the situation, she failed to see how Lavender might have come to that particular bit of wisdom. “How can you be so complacent?”

“Self preservation,” Lavender replied. “Look, the way the Choosing turns out for you is partly in your control-”

“Partly.”

“Partly in control is better than having no control at all. This is my second Choosing. Last year, I felt the same way as you do now. I was disgusted, I hated everyone and I didn’t want to be here. I made no friends, I alienated myself from everything and didn’t participate. There were seven of us that were pardoned last year and I was the only one not chosen in the end. I realize now that I was ridiculously lucky not to be chosen by someone truly awful, most of the girls were. I’m not just going to let that happen to me. This year I’m going to do whatever I can to make a good impression and maybe I’ll be chosen by someone who’s not so entirely bad. You should do the same.”

“I will _never_ do that,” Ginny spat.

“Maybe Lavender’s right,” Luna suggested. “I mean, we’re stuck with this now aren’t we? It might be a good idea to try to make the best of the situation…”

“Luna!” Ginny said, shocked at her longtime friend.

“Exactly,” Lavender attempted to smile at Luna. The skin around the right side of her mouth stretched a bit, but it was more of a grimace. “I for one am not going to let fate have its way with me. What about you Patricia?”

The other girl startled, as if surprised at being noticed. She made a pathetic figure the way she trembled and constantly looked on the verge of tears. Luna kept forgetting she was even there. Before Patricia could even get a word out, however, she was cut off by mocking laughter.

“Oh look, the chew toy’s back,” a snobby looking witch said. She moved to stand next to Lavender before adding, “Did you manage to worm your way out of the dungeons at last?”

“Back again, Pansy?” Lavender replied, unperturbed. “You seemed so sure before last Choosing that Malfoy would finally make it official.”

Luna sensed the comment struck a nerve. Pansy Parkinson glowered at Lavender for a second before affecting nonchalance. “We don’t want to rush into things. Draco still lives here with his father but we would need to have a manor of our own. That just hasn’t been sorted out yet.”

“Mhm,” Lavender responded with a raised eyebrow. She sipped her firewhiskey. Luna wanted one now.

Pansy’s eyes fell on Ginny with a look of distaste. “Weasley,” she was all she said before turning to look at Luna. “You’re Loony Lovegood. I remember you from school.” She glanced at Patricia and decided she wasn’t worth a mention.

Luna copied Lavender’s earlier movements and sure enough a house elf appeared with a tray of firewhiskeys. Luna took one and gave it a sniff, wondering if she could drink it all in one go like Lavender did. Pansy grabbed a shot off the tray as well. When she drank it, her face puckered even more than usual and she coughed loudly.

Ginny had not stopped glaring at Pansy since she appeared. “Is there a reason you are bothering us, Parkinson? Because honestly, the sooner you get lost, the better.”

Pansy fixed Ginny with a malicious grin. “Well actually I did come over here to share some deliciously awful gossip.”

“Oh, how unexpected,” Luna breathed. She’d tossed back the firewhiskey and was feeling wonderfully relaxed now. She smiled, her strange features taking on their familiar faraway look. “It’s been ages since I’ve gossipped. Feels almost like the old times. Like we were back at Hogwarts. Please, do tell us Pansy.”

Pansy looked at Luna as if she were a St. Mungo’s escapee before laughing. “Well,” she leaned in closer. “I heard that Yaxley will be joining us again this year.”

“So?” Lavender scoffed. “How is that remotely interesting? He’s already married so who cares about him.”

“He _was_ married,” Pansy said with a delighted look on her face.

Lavender’s eyebrows knitted together. “He just got married. He picked Laura Hughes at the last Choosing, I was there.”

“She’s dead,” Pansy whispered and a malicious grin spread across her face. “Apparently she wasn’t, you know, _cooperative_ and he eventually lost it and killed her.”

Lavender’s hand flew to cover her mouth and Luna gasped. Ginny looked like she might be sick. Patricia was nowhere in sight.

“That’s what they say anyway,” Pansy said. “Either way, he’s here and Draco thinks he’ll want to give the married life another go. Who knows, maybe he likes redheads,” she smiled evilly at Ginny. 

“Enjoy the party, I can tell this season is going to just fly by!” Pansy burst into a fit of laughter as she disappeared back into the crowd.

***

It was a clear cloudless night and the moon shone its light down on Malfoy Manor. Groups of purebloods and Deatheater supporters made their way across the illuminated grounds after the party. Snippets of chatter reached Venus’ ears but she was too tired to talk much of her own magical evening. Astoria yawned beside her, their parents following close behind in silence, ready to be finished with each other’s company. Eventually they reached the ornate gates and moved beyond a litany of defense and concealment spells. There were pops and cracks sounding all around now that the wizards could finally apparate.

“Send me an owl when you’re back from Paris,” Venus embraced Astoria one last time before they were to be separated. Astoria’s sister Daphne married a Deatheater from the French faction, and her family were going to visit for a fortnight.

“I’ll bring as much good silk back as I can,” Astoria replied. “Then we’ll go to Madame Malkins together and have our next gowns made.”

They bid their farewells to each other’s parents and went their separate ways. Astoria’s family disapparated together while Venus and her parents continued walking in search of their portkey.

When she was finally home and in bed, Venus reflected on her successful coming out party. It was clear that Lucius Malfoy, the most senior Deatheater of the British Isles, favoured her. Venus smiled, triumphant. _He’s probably saying good things about me to Draco right now_ she mused. Draco Malfoy. He was definitely an option, she decided. Out of all the wizards who asked her to dance he was the best looking. Well, tied with Blaise Zabini anyway. She had a fleeting crush on Draco while at Hogwarts, but she had been dating Theo Nott at the time so she never truly admitted it to herself. 

She was slightly miffed at how standoffish Draco was, however. He perpetually scowled and scoffed. Venus shook her head and let out a rush of air. She was getting ahead of herself. It was only her first Choosing event, after all. It was too early to say who she liked the best.

_But he’s definitely an option._

***

Luna was back in her dank cell deep below the Malfoy Estate. She knew the moon must be shining bright, it would be full in a couple days, but no light reached this deep underground. She felt around blindly on all fours trying to locate the ragged and stinking sheet that was her only source of warmth at night. Her fingers finally grasped the thin fabric and she felt her way back through the impenetrable darkness to a straw pallet bed.

“Ginny?” her ethereal voice drifted two cells down.

“I’m awake,” Ginny’s familiar voice reached through the blackness.

“I don’t want to sleep down here.”

“I know you don’t,” Ginny sounded sad.

Luna played with a loose string on her blanket. “I think,” she said slowly. “I think I want to do what Lavender does. Cooperate.” She let the word hang in the air. A whole minute went by in silence, Luna continuing to fiddle with the loose string. Still Ginny said nothing, so Luna continued in a ponderous whisper, “Would it make me a traitor? I don’t want to betray his memory...but...he’s been gone for so long…”

Luna heard soft wet noises and knew Ginny was crying. “You’re not a traitor, Luna,” she managed to choke out.

She lay awake for what felt like hours, listening to her friend’s quiet sobbing. She wondered what she had to do to get out of the dungeons. She tried to imagine her future but had no idea what it would look like.

***


	3. Chapter 3

“Please change your mind,” Luna entreated. She reached through the bars to grasp Ginny’s hand. She wore a new set of robes that were plain black and without any embellishment, but they were far better than the rags she used to wear. Ginny on the other hand, looked even worse than the last time they saw each other. She was paler, thinner, and her robes were stiff with dungeon grime.

“You know I can’t bring myself to play nice with these people,” Ginny attempted to smile and squeezed Luna’s hand. “You’ve got that dreamy look in your eyes again. It’s so nice to see that, like you’re finally coming back to life.”

“The opposite is true for you,” Luna frowned. “Please just come with me upstairs and pick out a new dress. If you even just  _ pretend _ to care it will make things easier for you. They might let you take more baths or give you a better bed or better meals. And if you showed some kind of interest at the next party, like talking to someone new or dancing, it could be just enough to get you out of the dungeon and upstairs with Lavender and I!”

Ginny sighed, released her hand and sank bank onto her straw pallet. She shook her head. 

“Please come upstairs,” Luna begged, her large eyes shining in the gloom. “I was so nice to that horrible pock-face man in order to get down here to ask you to the dress fitting myself. I don’t know if I’ll be allowed to do it again.”

Two more balls had come and gone since they were initially thrust into the pureblood social scene. In the lead up to each significant social event where purebloods could mingle with potential marriage partners, the prisoners locked up beneath Malfoy Manor were invited upstairs to meet with seamstresses, hairstylists, and jewellers. Luna’s willingness to participate, and apparent enjoyment of the actual balls, earned her more and more privileges. At the last ball she followed Lavender’s lead in flattering Pansy Parkinson profusely until it became clear the former Slytherin couldn’t help but enjoy their company. Lavender begged Pansy to introduce them to a few wizards and Luna even danced with one. 

Ginny sat in a corner all night, glaring at anyone who dared come near her. That night Luna moved out of the dungeon for good and into Lavender’s room upstairs, while Ginny was dragged back to her cell. The gaoler said she showed an “appalling lack of gratitude.”

“I’m glad I got to see you,” Ginny began. “But fuck the Choosing and fuck the Deatheaters. If I have to wear a bloody dress then I’m going to wear that same one they gave me over and over until it disintegrates, just to spite them all!”

Just then a door set atop a set of crumbing stairs squeaked open and a pool of light spilled across Ginny’s lap. Their heads snapped round to see the gaoler descending the steps. Luna shrank away from him but he swaggered up nonetheless.

“Well then,” he said. “What’s the verdict? You coming up to play princess for the day, or you gonna be bloody thick again and force me to leave you in this shithole?”

Ginny spat at him.

Luna groaned as he grasped her upper arm, tugging her upright. “Can’t say I’m surprised!” was all he said before starting back up the steps, dragging Luna along with him. Luna shot Ginny a pleading look which the latter met with a wink.

“See you at the party!” Ginny called after her. Luna looked back as she was pulled upstairs by pock-face and caught Ginny wearing a self-satisfied smirk before her view was cut off by the dungeon door swinging shut.

They headed left for a minute before stepping through an archway to the right and heading up a steep staircase covered in patches of decaying lichen. Luna hurried close behind, not wanting to get lost. She still had no idea just how large Malfoy Manor was since she and Lavender were not allowed to roam freely. Instead they were instructed to stick to their own secluded strip of hallway that included a bedroom, a lavatory, and a miniscule sitting room containing a handful of dusty books on housekeeping and a broken coffee table which Lavender managed to transfigure into a rudimentary chess set. They spent the last few days ripping pages out of the books and had transfigured almost enough to make a full deck of cards.

At last they emerged in the westernmost section of the manor. Luna ascended two more flights of stairs and was thoroughly out of breath by the time she stepped onto the now familiar red carpeted flooring of ‘their’ hallway. 

“Off with you then,” pock-face said. He muttered an incantation and drew a line with his wand across the landing, making an invisible barrier so he would know if either of the girls went exploring.

“Thank you very much, sir,” Luna smiled dreamily at him. He gave her an odd look, but Luna was used to such reactions. She turned away and walked the short distance to the bedroom, drawn by the sound of voices and creaking floorboards.

Lavender and the dressmaker were already unpacking materials for the fitting. Spread out upon the modest double bed were silk, chiffon, brocade, and damask samples in a multitude of colours. Bewitched mannequins lined the edges of the room, each one wearing a dress in a different cut. They showed off by adopting different poses every now and then and by twirling, which made the fabric flutter and swish. The dressmaker, a squat woman with flyaway hair and crushed blue velvet robes speckled with crescent moons, was bustling between boxes, wand in hand, when she caught sight of Luna. “Ah! Darling Miss Lovegood, I was beginning to worry you mightn’t join us,” she said. 

“We’re almost finished here,” Lavender said, glancing up as she smoothed swathes of fabric on the bedspread. She gestured to a rickety table by the door, “Help yourself to some tea, and we will get started in a minute or two.”

The tea was just cool enough to drink without scalding off her tastebuds, just the way she liked it, so Luna poured herself a cup and sipped gratefully, her eyes feeding on the luxurious materials before her. There was so much to choose from it was slightly overwhelming, so to narrow down the choices, Luna vowed never to wear the same colour or cut twice. That meant no more blues, reds, or purples. Or maybe she would just avoid the same particular shade, she mused while eyeing a mannequin sporting an enticing lilac number.

When all the inventory was properly displayed, Luna joined Lavender in meandering about the room, fingering various textiles and studying how each one looked on the mannequins. Soon enough each of them presented the stout dressmaker with their preliminary preferences. Lavender had an entire armload of colours and textures to hand over and took several minutes to explain just exactly what she wished to try on.

“I want to try this cream shade as a stiff brocade bodice but with this shape in the skirt,” she indicated to a mannequin on the left side of the room. The dressmaker jotted down the different combinations on a little notepad. Lavender added, “I also want to try  _ this _ colour with  _ this  _ fabric with  _ that _ neckline.”

“Rose chiffon sweetheart,” the dressmaker muttered as she scribbled. She dutifully listened to three more dresses Lavender wished to try on and finally it was Luna’s turn. The dressmaker smiled at her bemusedly when she, empty handed, pointed at the mannequin in lilac.

“Oh, come now, child!” she exclaimed. “Don’t tell me you’ve only picked the one. You can try on as many dresses as you like. Best take advantage of the day!”

“I know I want that colour,” Luna said, admiring the sample. “So I’ll try it in as many ways as I can today. If that makes sense.”

“I think I can manage that,” the witch said, her eyes crinkling at the corners as she smiled kindly at her. She set about poking each of the other mannequins’ dresses with her wand, wordlessly mouthing transfiguration spells, until they were all wearing Luna’s lilac. There were now sixteen dresses of the same colour, but each with different materials and designs. While Lavender had her gowns magicked into being, Luna tried on gown after gown, dress after dress, until she was quite certain she found the one she liked best. She smiled at herself in the mirror, realizing she hadn’t felt this at ease since before the war.

***

The Argaunts were lingering over the remains of a satisfying Saturday morning breakfast when the post owls began swooping in through the open window. A sturdy brown owl dropped a weekend edition of the Daily Prophet on the table, nearly knocking over Mikken’s orange juice. Mikken was still fumbling for knuts- they kept a bowl of small change on the table for the Prophet owls- when a sleek black and grey-speckled owl flew in. Venus fed the Prophet owl her unwanted toast and let Celestia untie the new one’s letter. 

“Another bill, no doubt,” Mikken gave Venus a disapproving look. “You’ll bankrupt me with all of these parties! New silk, new diamonds, everything custom-made...must you insist on buying the most expensive of everything?”

“I can’t help that I have good taste, Daddy,” she replied in her most honey-sweet voice, ignoring the urge to put the pathetic creature in his place. “You don’t want me to go out looking like a cheap Weasley, do you? I am representing the family!” 

“The investment’s been well worth it, it appears,” Celestia looked up from the letter with an ecstatic gleam in her eye. “We are invited to dine at the Malfoys’ tonight.”

Venus snatched the letter away to see for herself and her eyes rapidly took it all in, blood rushing to her face. “Astoria and her parents are also invited,” she stated with a small pout. 

That was not ideal. She had no desire to share the spotlight, but a private dinner at Draco’s was the most attention he’d shown anyone in the history of the Choosing. Venus and Astoria spent the last two balls with Draco dancing, drinking, and getting to know each other. They all got on with a natural easiness, apart from an almost imperceptible tension between the two girls competing for attention.

“Tonight? This is much too last minute! We can’t possibly be ready in time…” Mikken had that look of sweaty panic that Venus despised. He squawked about everything and nothing, looking for an excuse to avoid any social interaction. “...dress robes haven’t been pressed, the house elves are already started on a roast-”

“I don’t bloody well care if it’s not  _ convenient _ for the help!” Venus snapped, no longer feeling magnanimous towards her fool of a father. 

He began to sputter. “Enough. Both of you,” Celestia said calmly but sternly. “Mikken, don’t be silly, of course we are going. It’s an honour to be invited to dinner by Lucius Malfoy himself. He is the representative of the Dark Lord in Britain, there is no one more powerful this side of the Channel. And Venus, you will show respect for your father tonight. None of your snide little comments. You will be on your best behaviour. Understand?”

“Yes, Mother.”

“Good. Now, hop in the bath and I’ll find some suitable dress robes for us all. Mikken, I think you’d best dig up one or two of the old Argaunt heirlooms to wear. If there’s anyone as interested in family history as you are, it’s Lucius Malfoy.”

***

The family gathered in the foyer just before seven o’clock. The air was thick with anticipation as Celestia prepared a portkey that would take them to the Malfoy Manor gates. Venus wanted to disapparate, but Mikken’s severe fear of splinching made it impossible to travel that way as a family. So tonight Celestia, ever the peacekeeper between anxious father and impatient daughter, charmed a candlestick into a portkey.

They were just presenting their pureblood status cards to the same witch who checks cards during Choosing parties when Venus heard three loud  _ pops _ . She hung back to wait for Astoria and parents, and the two families made the long walk down the footpath of the Malfoy Estate to the main house. The sun had not yet fully set and without the usual throngs of party-goers Venus enjoyed a different perspective of the grounds. They were all dressed in finely made robes this time rather than constricting formal wear. Venus was much more comfortable in layers of azure and black velvet with oversized bell sleeves that hung off her small frame and complemented her long hair and penetrating black eyes. Curly-haired Astoria appeared her opposite in slim-fitting robes that accentuated her long legs, embellished with gold buttons down the front. 

At last they arrived on the manor house doorstep and were welcomed by a house elf. Blinkey led them down a long corridor in the opposite direction of the ballroom. Unlike the warm and inviting ballroom, this section of the home was so poorly lit that it bordered on gloomy. Venus liked it, however, as there was so much to impress. The walls were covered in paintings and tapestries, and the corridor was lined as well with suits of armor and glass cases containing antiques and ancient magical artefacts. Venus trailed behind everyone, looking in cases and examining wall hangings, intrigued by the rich history being preserved for posterity.

Realizing she had indeed fallen quite behind, she ran to catch up with the rest as they reached the end of the hall and entered the dining room. “One of the cases has a Book of the Dead,” Venus squealed, nearly barrelling into Astoria. “I think that’s what it is anyway- it’s written in blood!”

“It is indeed. The Egyptians are always pestering me to give it back.”

Venus was startled by the closeness of the voice. Lucius Malfoy looked down at her with a haughty smirk, causing her to cheeks to flush. “You impress me again, Miss Argaunt,” he said. “Not many guests appreciate my collection as much as you seem to, which is as they deserve. You have good taste.” 

Venus quickly regained her composure. “Thank you Mr. Malfoy, but really, I’m the one who’s impressed. I’ve never seen so many rare magical artefacts before.”

“Bunch of dusty old junk if you ask me,” Draco said from where he stood beside Astoria. 

“Draco doesn’t understand the importance of preserving history as we do,” Lucius explained to Venus and offered an arm. “Shall we?” Venus assented and placed her hand on his outstretched forearm. They led the group deeper into the room to where a crystal chandelier cast soft light over an ornately set table for eight. Lucius and Draco seated themselves at the ends of the table while Venus and Astoria sat across from each other, between their parents.

“Venus was the best of our year in History of Magic,” Astoria said, reviving the conversation from before. She winked at her across the table and added, “She’s always lecturing me about old dead wizards and dragging me down Knockturn Alley to look for antiques.”

“I still say History of Magic is the most interesting class, if Professor Binns’ voice doesn’t put you to sleep,” Venus said.

“Awful class!” Draco interjected with a sneer. “Excellent for taking a nap though. Snape should fire him, honestly, he should have been fired before he even died.”

“I can bring it up at the next board meeting,” Lucius suggested. He was on the Board of Governors for Hogwarts after all. Everyone murmured their agreement. Lucius raised his wine goblet, to which the rest followed suit. “To new alliances.”

Venus took a sip of the wine, a deep red that warmed her insides, and the first course- butternut squash soup- magically appeared before them. It was delicious. Mikken made appreciative noises next to her between spoonfuls. They slipped into several casual conversations around the table. Venus and Astoria leaned forward to listen to Draco give a play by play account of the last World Cup qualifying quidditch game he went to. Celestia and Lucius gave each other updates on old classmates and then Astoria’s father got talking about new policies at Gringotts. Mikken did not engage much unless it was to comment on the excellent food.

It was about halfway through the main course- rack of lamb, fresh green beans, and a parsnip mash drizzled au jus- when Lucius Malfoy noticed a curiously cracked ivory snakehead pin on Mikken’s robes. 

“It’s a very old family heirloom,” Mikken said in response to his query, puffing out his chest in pride. Venus tensed, hoping against hope that he would stop at that. Astoria’s father smirked, well aware of Mikken’s socially awkward tendencies.

“Incredibly old, by the looks of it,” Lucius stated with approval.

“That it is!” Mikken brightened up, emboldened by his interest. “There’s an interesting story behind this particular Argaunt heirloom-”

“Likely not a  _ true _ story. You don’t want to get him started, trust me,” Venus interjected.

“Oh come now, Venus,” Mr. Greengrass admonished. “Lucius hasn’t heard the story yet.”

“I’m curious now myself,” Draco said.

“Well then, how can I not tell the story of our family’s history?” Mikken leaned forward. His eyes gleamed with excitement. Venus slunk down in her seat, wishing she could hide. “How shall I even begin? Let’s see….well, this particular brooch has been in my family since before the Argaunt name even existed.”

Lucius looked puzzled and Draco stared at him expectantly.

“You see, before there were Argaunts there was the family of Gaunt,” he continued. “The Gaunts were extremely strict, some would say they were extreme, when it came to blood status. They were one of the oldest pureblood families in existence. So much so, that they didn’t trust anyone else to have blood pure enough to their standards and so they kept marrying within the family. They interbred.”

Venus fidgeted uncomfortably, wanting him to shut up.

“The Gaunts became sicklier and madder with each generation that went by. And then one of the male Gaunts ran off with a Muggle!”

“None of this is proven!” Venus almost screamed, horrified.

“Well he had a half blood child that turned out to be a squib.”

_ Please stop please stop please stop _ . Her face burned.

“The Gaunts disowned the child, shunned its parents, and denied being related to any of the impure branch of the family. It still carried the Gaunt name, but the splinter branch of the family began to identify as being ‘arguably Gaunt’ which was eventually shortened into Argaunt. There were a couple generations of squibs, and then magic came back into the Argaunt family. And there you have it!” He finished with a broad smile, oblivious to the fact that he just admitted he and Venus were descendants of incest, Muggles, and squibs- to the head of the British Deatheaters no less.

“Sweetheart, you’re forgetting the best part,” Celestia prompted.

“Oh? Oh! Of course, I should have mentioned. The Gaunt family claimed to be descended from-”

“Salazar Slytherin himself,” Lucius Malfoy said with a look of dumbstruck bewilderment. His eyes fell on Venus. He regarded her carefully, as though she were a poisonous snake that might strike. She didn’t think that was a good thing. “I know of the Gaunts.” 

“Wait a minute,” it was Draco’s turn to stare her down. “You’re descended from Slytherin?”

“It’s most likely just a load of rubbish!” Venus screeched, desperate to distance herself from such a distasteful heritage.

“Can you speak Parseltongue?” Draco pursued the subject.

“Venus and I can’t, but I had a great uncle who could,” Mikken offered.

“You never saw him do it.”

“Your grandmother did.”

“Grandma was a loony!”

“Venus that’s enough,” her mother gave her a stern look. “Leave your father alone.”

Venus crossed her arms and scowled at him instead. Draco smirked and Astoria tried to hide her mirth by taking a bite of lamb, while Mr. Greengrass openly chuckled. Mikken, as usual, was oblivious to his daughter’s snark. Lucius seemed to have drifted off in thought and didn’t seem to heed the scene before him. After a slightly uncomfortable pause he shook his head and took a sip of wine. “Excellent story,” was all he said.

Celestia took it upon herself to steer the conversation to less combative subjects, and the rest of the evening passed without a major calamity. Venus eventually cooled off enough to try the dessert. After stuffing themselves full with as much food as their tender tummies could handle, the group lingered contentedly over a final glass of wine. Astoria, who’d drunk three glasses already, was flushed and could hardly keep her eyes open. It wasn’t until her mother caught her mid-yawn that they realized how late it was.

Venus was rather grateful to be leaving. Although she had a wonderful time- apart from her father’s dreadful lack of tact- she was already looking forward to flopping on her bed and slipping into a food coma. They collected themselves and slowly made their way back to the foyer. Draco and Lucius went as well, to properly see their guests off.

“See you at the Choosing party,” Draco said.

“I hope the weather cooperates,” Astoria replied. The Greengrasses volunteered to host, and were planning an evening garden party on their extensive grounds.

“Nothing a little magic can’t fix, if it does rain,” Lucius said. “We are looking forward to your hospitality.”

Everyone finished saying their goodbyes and made plans to meet again at the Greengrass’ garden party. Venus, Astoria, and their parents walked back to the gate together, where the two families separated for the night. The Greengrasses disapparated, and the Argaunts went off to look for their candlestick portkey. 

***


	4. Chapter 4

The rain held off, but the overcast sky prevented the stars from illuminating the Greengrass grounds on the night of their garden party, so instead, they conjured thousands of fireflies and corralled them overhead where they flickered and twinkled. Violins, flutes, and harps floated among the guests so that the swell and ebb of the music grew louder or fainter as you wove through the clutches of witches and wizards dressed in their finery. The party was well underway, and guests chatted together amiably or danced on the patch of black and white checkered floor that had been set up over the grass. Trays of hor d'oeuvres and cocktails also glided among the revellers, replenishing themselves as needed. Ginny snatched one such tray of lobster rolls right out of the air and crammed one into her mouth. 

Luna, Lavender and Pansy each took one as well. Luna wouldn’t mind a second roll but left the rest for Ginny, whose stance relaxed as she chewed. Butter dripped down her chin and she swiped it up with a finger, then closed her eyes and sucked it off with a stifled moan as though it were the most real nourishment she’d had since the last Choosing party they attended a month ago. 

“You’re looking well, Ginny,” Luna fibbed.

A grunt and a nod was the response, as she was apparently trying to fit two more lobster rolls into her mouth at once. She was wearing the same black dress as always and there were heavy bags under her eyes, but at least she appeared no thinner than last month.

“You would look better if you’d drop the martyr shtick,” Pansy scoffed. 

“Ffhh hfff,” Ginny tried to tell her where to stick it, but was muffled by the excessive amount of lobster she was eating.

“These are delicious,” Luna interjected before the two of them could really get into it. 

“Oh look, there’s Theo and couple of the old Ravenclaw boys,” Lavender said and waved at them with a shy smile.

“You’re welcome,” Pansy elbowed Lavender playfully. At the last ball, she’d introduced Lavender to Theo Nott, who had been a Slytherin in their year, and it had gone better than expected. When they eventually danced together, he’d trod on her feet twice and then Lavender tripped on the train of her dress and ripped it. In the end, their mutual mortification endeared them to each other, and Lavender found herself thinking that he wasn’t even close to being as Slytherin-like as she’d always assumed.

Theo squeezed through the crowd, dodging floating violins and serving trays along the way. His robes slouched off his lanky frame and he hurriedly adjusted them when he reached the girls.

“Hi Theo,” she squeaked, ducking her chin and letting her hair fall forward so that it screened her mangled cheek from view.

“Hey,” he said simply and smiled down at her. If the scars disconcerted him in any way, he had a great poker face. 

There was a charged pause, broken by the sound of Pansy clearing her throat. Theo glanced around, seeming to finally notice the other girls. “Oh, uh, hey.” He avoided looking at Pansy, who’s smarmy look was most unflattering.

“You’ve met Ginny?” Lavender gestured. Ginny held up a lobster roll in acknowledgement and Theo nodded. “And this is Luna. We share a room at Malfoy Manor.”

“How’s it going?” Theo nodded and continued smiling away but failed to offer anything more in the way of conversation. Thankfully, two more boys appeared at the edge of their little circle and Theo seemed to relax. He clapped his hand on the shoulder of the taller boy, who had light brown, flyaway hair and gestured to his sandy-haired companion. “This is Maxwell, and this blonde reprobate is Jamie.”

“You were both in Ravenclaw, right?” Lavender asked. “It’s nice to know we aren’t the only non-Slytherins here.”

“You used to hide my shoes,” Luna fixed them with her unblinking stare.

“Er..” Maxwell sputtered. “Just a spot of fun, no harm meant. You always found them in the end…”

“Not always.”

The blonde one, Jamie, held out his hand. “You’re right. I was a total shit, and still am, but I apologize. The past is done, everything is different now. So, Luna Lovegood, let me make it up to you.”

Luna took his hand, and without letting go, cracked a wide smile and bowed deeply with a fluid little flourish of her free hand. Her earrings, long and dangly shooting stars, tinkled like tiny windchimes as she straightened. Looking unblinkingly into his deep-set grey eyes she said, “It is not fair to judge a person solely based on their past deeds. I see kindness in your eyes. I am pleased to make your acquaintance.” 

“Er,” he stumbled for a brief moment. “Right on.” He plucked a pair of butterbeers off a tray as it floated by and offered one to Luna. After taking a sip, she asked the boys if this was their first Choosing party.

“Oh, no,” Jamie said. “Well, this is Maxwell’s first year attending, but I went to almost all of them last year.”

Pansy arched a brow and sniffed. “Too...busy last year, were you?”

A hint of a flush spread from Maxwell’s neck to cheeks. Theo fidgeted uncomfortably and coughed. Lavender shot him a quizzical look while Ginny appeared to truly take in the boys for the first time.

“Um, well,” Maxwell said quietly. “I was busy, sure. Busy in...jail.”

Ginny barked a laugh. “I find it hard to stay busy in jail. Bored out of my skull every waking moment.”

Lavender mouthed at her to be nice then looked back up at Maxwell, who was running a hand through his light brown hair. “I think what Ginny means to say is that a lot of us are no stranger to a cell these days. It’s nothing to be ashamed of.”

“Speak for yourself,” Pansy sneered, jutting her chin out. “It’s appalling how low magical society let itself fall before the Dark Lord restored us to our glory. Bloodtraitors are a disgrace, and everyone at this ball only tolerates them because the situation is so dire. The pureblood lines nearly went extinct and we need all of them united to rebuild.”

“Why do you insist on forcing your repulsive presence on us then, Parkinson?” Ginny spat. Her face contorted with rage as she glared daggers at her. “Bugger off and annoy your evil cronies if us bloodtraitors are so distasteful to you.”

Pansy’s sickly features curdled and she opened her mouth to reply but nothing came out but a strangled angry squeal. She turned on her heel and stomped away, pale fists clutched into tight balls.

“Oh thank Merlin, I thought she would never give us peace.” Ginny’s scowl somewhat lessened, and she waved over another tray of snacks to devour.

***

“Theo is dancing with one of the bloodtraitors!”

“What are you talking about,” Venus drawled. She plucked a flute of champagne from a passing tray before turning around towards the dance floor. 

In the centre of the sprawling Greengrass lawn, black and white tiles lay over the grass where scores of couples twirled together under the flickering fireflies. And there was her ex in the middle of it, dancing with a curly-haired girl in a long-sleeved indigo gown, his hands resting on her waist. An unusual choice of gown, Venus mused. Every other girl at the Choosing had adopted a sleeveless, slinky style, so the conservative cut was the first thing she noticed about this stranger.

Then the dancing couple shifted and she saw the hideous red tangles of scar tissue on the girl’s face and neck. It was the bloodtraiter Lavender Brown, the one who got eaten alive by the mad dog Fenrir Greyback during the Battle of Hogwarts.

Astoria was agog, opening and closing her mouth but unable to find words. A flush crept up Venus’s neck, and red splotches bloomed under her snow-white skin. 

“Damn,” Draco let out a short sigh when he spotted his old classmates dancing together. “Well I suppose it is acceptable. She was pardoned after all.”

“Theo can do much better than  _ that _ !” Venus spat. 

Draco took sip of champagne and pursed his lips. “I had wondered about Theo’s commitment,” he began. “He took up with some Ravenclaws after his father died. Given the family history he was on track to make Deatheater, but he threw it away. I was hoping it was just grief making him act odd, but now I’m not so sure.”

“You always said he was too sensitive,” Astoria said to Venus.

Draco raised an eyebrow and looked down his nose at her. She sipped her champagne and feigned disinterest but she was still reeling from seeing him with that bloodtraiter. The chew toy, some people called her.

“Venus dated Theo-”

“Hush.”

“-for a year.”

“You dirty little liar! Hardly that long. On and off….shut up!”

Draco and Astoria chuckled while Venus huffed, the splotches that had now reached her chest growing a deeper shade of crimson. A breeze tousled their hair and Draco smoothed his white blonde strands back down and sighed. He surveyed the picturesque grounds, filled as they were with the upper crust of magical society all enjoying themselves.

“Your parents’ place is nice,” he offered to Astoria. Without a hint of sarcasm, Venus noted with a sinking feeling.

“Thank you,” Astoria dipped her head demurely, her curls quivering just the slightest at the movement. “It’s not as grand as Malfoy Manor, that’s for sure, but it’s strange to imagine living anywhere but here. Apart from Hogwarts, of course.”

“I understand that feeling,” Draco nodded. “I’m looking into getting a place of my own in any case. It will be so entirely different...but then, I am looking forward to it anyway.”

“Oh that’s exciting!” Astoria cried and Venus noted how she lightly touched his forearm. “What makes you want to move out?”

Draco shrugged. “It’s just time to start my own life.” He didn’t elaborate, but caught Astoria’s devoted eye and the faintest smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. “Do you want to dance?” he asked her, holding out his arm. 

Astoria gave him a knock-out smile, crimson lips stretching back to reveal all her perfect white teeth. She took his arm and they glided away, gaze still locked, without a glance at Venus and left her alone. Fuming.

Her breath came in short and fast bursts. Her eyes bored holes into the back of their perfectly coiffed heads and her fingers twitched towards her wand, itching to slap a curse on her ungrateful sidekick. She was mulling over the pros and cons of a curse that would cover Astoria’s skin with pussing boils versus something more subtle, like making her smell like rotten eggs or giving the bitch sudden onset diarrhea, when she felt fingertips butterfly across the bare skin of her back, exposed as it was by her scandalous gown. 

“A rare moment, to catch the star of the season for once without her usual circle of admirers,” Lucius Malfoy leaned down to murmur in her ear. He smiled at her with a devilish glint in his eye, his long platinum hair falling loose on the dark crushed velvet robes draped over his shoulders. “You look exquisite.”

Being so openly favoured by the most powerful Deatheater in Britain quelled her thirst for violent revenge and Venus couldn’t help but smile back at him.

“You flatter me, Mr. Malfoy, but I’ll admit that I love it,” she purred. 

“It isn’t flattery when it’s the obvious truth. And please, call me Lucius.”

She scoffed and made a dismissive gesture with her hands but was nonetheless pleased. “I wouldn’t dare! It’s too intimate,” she teased.

“All the better,” he returned her banter. 

“Well, I guess I’ll have to if you insist,” she said, shooting a playful look from under her long, dark lashes. “I can’t go around defying Deatheater wishes. It just isn’t done!”

“Not by those who know what’s good for them.”

“Too right,” she said rather archly, eyes drifting over to the bloodtraitors on the other side of the lawn. It was impossible not to take notice of Theo among them.

Lucius followed her gaze. “Ah,” he began. “You’ll be surprised to hear that two of them are actually doing rather well, showing no defiance and assimilating to the new regime without complaint. The Weasley girl on the other hand,” he confided, a small frown creasing his brow. “That one refuses to see reason.”

“Did I hear correctly that they are kept in the Malfoy Manor dungeons?” She was truly interested. Though overwhelmingly shunned, the unmarried bloodtraitors were still the talk of The Choosing. A trail of whispered gossip followed them at every public appearance.

He sipped his drink and peered at her from the corner of his eye as if considering how much to reveal. “The Weasley is still down there, yes,” he admitted. “As I said, the other two are amenable. They’ve been given suitable rooms in a separate wing. I’m not a beast, you know.” The way he regarded her as he said so made it seem as though he cared for her good opinion, and Venus was very conscious of the distinction. Astoria may have Draco’s eye tonight, but the Malfoy family legacy was everything and the good opinion of its patriarch held more than a little weight. Tendrils of hope spread through her, lifting her mood significantly.

“Wasn’t there another one? Patricia something?” She remembered the scrawny thing shivering off to the side when the bloodtraitors were brought out at the first Choosing gala.

Lucius cringed. “Pureblood, Slytherin parents...but a squib.”

Venus was hit with a sinking feeling and wished she hadn’t mentioned it. She hated any mention of squibs and always worried it would lead to uncomfortable remembrances of her own unsavory ancestry. “Oh…” 

“The family had tried to flee to America,” he said, mouth twisting with distaste. “At the time, we had no idea why. It looked like treachery, like they had turned against the Dark Lord. Really, they were trying to hide their shame as it was becoming more and more difficult to hide the fact that she possessed no magic at all. The girl was released once the truth came out.”

“I suppose that’s why I didn’t know her from school,” she replied. “And why she’s nowhere to be found now. I can’t imagine anyone would pick a squib at The Choosing.”

“Likely not.”

They stood side by side quietly contemplating the crowd for a moment before a group of middle aged witches shuffled their way. Lucius suppressed a groan. “Save me,” he mumbled low enough so that only Venus heard it, and plastered an insincere grin on his face before turning to face them.

“Lucius! Oh, how lovely to see you,” said a witch with tight blonde curls and horn-rimmed spectacles. She was wearing a slinky, low cut gown of a similar style to the one Venus wore, but not nearly as flattering, she thought, openly giving her the once over. The witch pointedly ignored the younger woman, smiling cat-like up at Lucius and standing rather too close. He took the minutest of steps away from her and Venus couldn’t help but smirk.

“Hello Rita. How’s the Daily Prophet?” Lucius asked politely, nodding in greeting at her giggling companions in turn.

“Pssshht, the Prophet, let’s not talk about work! I came here to have fun,” Rita simpered. “And you should do the same. All work and no play, and all that!”

“It’s a busy time for all of us, I’m sure. Have you met Venus Argaunt?” 

Rita’s eyes flicked over to Venus, who indulged in an ironic little curtsy. 

“Charmed,” she gave her a tight lipped smile before turning back to her prey. “We used to run into each other all over the place and now I hardly know where to find you. Really, Lucius, we  _ have  _ to stop in at the Leaky Cauldron sometime to properly catch up. These events are so loud and crowded you can never really have a decent chat with old friends.”

Lucius spun his walking stick in his hands as she spoke. “The Leaky Cauldron?” he echoed noncommittally. 

“Oh, I love this song,” Venus blurted out. She actually had no idea what the floating violins were playing but swayed along to the melody anyway.

Lucius caught her eye. “So do I,” he announced. “I suppose we must dance, then.”

“We really ought to.”

“Well then, no time to lose.” He plucked the champagne flute from her grasp, passed their empty glasses off to Rita and offered Venus an arm, quickly tucking his walking stick away into a fold of his magnificent dress robes with his free hand. He glanced back at Rita, flustered and clutching their discarded glassware, and said brusquely, “If you’ll excuse us.”

Venus enjoyed the thrill of victory that washed over her and let Lucius lead her to the checkered dance floor. The crowd parted unbidden as they passed through; she loved that everyone hastily cleared a path for Lucius Malfoy when he drew near. As they began to dance, though, her enjoyment of the moment was dimmed when she heard Astoria’s signature snicker from somewhere nearby. Venus knew that laugh was triggered by a cutting remark, usually one of her own, but had the feeling that this time it was directed at her. She caught sight of Astoria and Draco dancing, heads bent close together, stealing glances at her and Lucius.

The song finished but Venus and Lucius continued into the next one, their steps coming naturally and perfectly timed as though they’d done this a thousand times. They chatted amicably about some of the relics housed in Malfoy Manor. Venus, unable to contain her curiosity, happily teased out his accounts of scandalous artefact acquisitions and intrigues while Lucius was in turn thrilled at having found such a genuinely interested audience. 

A third song was beginning when he seemed to lose focus. His eyes kept flicking over to a point on the west side of the lawn not far from the dancefloor and his movements became stiff. Venus felt his hand at her waist grow damp through the thin fabric of her dress and the other hand that clasped hers went rigid.

“What is it?” she asked.

He didn’t answer, but there was a stir coming from the west side of the lawn and he halted their dancing entirely. She followed his gaze and saw witches and wizards scurrying back and bowing or dropping to their knees and prostrating themselves entirely. She craned her neck trying to see what the disturbance was and heard the hushed murmurs of those around her in tones that ranged from awe to simmering fear. 

There at the centre of it all was a figure cloaked in streaming black robes billowing in the wind with a bald head that was in contrast ghostly white. His facial features shocked her; they didn’t make sense, were practically inhuman. There were slits where a nose should be and even at this distance Venus could tell that there was something wrong about his eyes. She knew immediately who it must be.

_ Voldemort. _

As if he heard her think his name, the Dark Lord’s eyes roved over to their direction and she realized what was so unsettling about them. Red, they were red, and as he drew nearer she saw to her horror that the pupils were vertical and cat-like rather than round like a person’s. 

Draco and Astoria had drawn closer and were beside her now, the waves of uneasiness rolling off of them mirroring her own. Lucius straightened his shoulders and checked on her with a guarded look in his eyes before walking away to greet his master. Voldemort simply glided through the crowd, looking down into the faces of all his followers and stopping now and then to allow a few devotees to press their lips to his pale, thin hand. A huge snake followed at his heels. It slithered through the grass and licked the air with its forked tongue.

They all watched as Lucius bowed deeply before the Dark Lord and then took up by his side. They meandered across the lawn, Lucius introducing him to a handful of witches and wizards including Mr. and Mrs. Greengrass. 

Astoria let out a long exhale when the pair moved on from her parents and Venus squeezed her hand.

“Well this really kills the party mood,” Draco muttered under his breath.

Venus watched as Voldemort inclined his head to listen to something Lucius was saying in his ear. It must have had some effect, because the Dark Lord nodded and spoke. His voice was magically amplified to boom across the entire Greengrass lawns for all to hear.

“Friends,” he began, smiling and holding his arms wide. As he surveyed his rapt audience, Venus heard a soft rustling made by the snake circling his feet in the grass. “It warms my heart to see so many pureblood wizards and witches gathered together, united and strong. It has been too long since true magical folk held sway. It is only right that we hold celebrations such as these now that order has been restored and we pure of blood have taken our rightful place at the top. It's nights like tonight that mark our glory!”

He paused. The crowd waited; everyone seemed to hold their breath. The sound of the breeze rustling leaves and ladies’ skirts drifted through the air. Venus thought she could pick out the slightest whine coming from the ever-shifting cloud of fireflies that flickered above.

“So, it is with this in mind that I must insist every fine, pure, true wizard and witch here today  _ celebrate _ . For it is our time, at last! So please, I insist,” his eyes narrowed and lips pressed together, as if amused with the scene. “Continue to enjoy the evening’s festivities. Carry on.”

He flicked his wand almost lazily and with that the instruments picked up where they left off mid-song. Venus hadn’t even noticed when the music had stopped in the first place.

“Fat chance of that,” Draco said. “How can anyone relax with the Dark Lord floating about?”

Venus’s eyes followed the Dark Lord as he drifted further away from them. “Floating about” was really quite an accurate statement. Lucius was never far behind. His face wasn’t exactly drawn, but Venus noticed how closed down and expressionless he looked. It was a side of him she’d never been exposed to before. It made her uneasy.

Most everyone was now vacating the dance floor where the three of them still stood, although a smattering of couples were putting on a brave face and took up dancing once again. Venus put a hand on her chest and felt her heart pounding. “Let’s get out of here,” she said breathlessly and led the way - albeit, by actually dragging Astoria along, not giving her or Draco any other choice but to follow her lead. They left the checked floor and kept going across the grass, Venus carelessly elbowing people out of the way in her hurry to get out of the crowd. It wasn’t until they were well away in the open air that she felt she could breathe deeply again and her pounding heart began to slow. Finally, she let go of Astoria’s wrist and they came to a stop at the edge of the tree line where they found Blaise Zabini lounging with a handful of girls.

Feeling more in her element, Venus settled herself in the grass across from Blaise and figured some good old fashioned competition might stoke Draco’s jealous side. Blaise gave her a smouldering look and she demurely arranged her skirt around herself. All she had to do was steal a few bashful glances, and in minutes, he abandoned his harem to sit beside her, leaving the girls who were there first to sulk and shoot dirty looks her way.

***

The mood was easier after Ginny’s goading caused Pansy to storm off. Not soon enough, was Ginny’s take on it all. While Lavender, and increasingly Luna too, would insist that tolerating and flattering Parkinson would help them to meet suitors at The Choosing and ultimately lead to their making decent matches, no amount of “privileges” could induce Ginny to participate in this disgusting ordeal. Or so she thought.

Lavender was off dancing with Theo, and Luna happily joined Jamie when he voiced a wish to explore the grounds. Luna invited Ginny to join them but she simply didn’t have the energy to even stand much longer let alone go traipsing across the expansive property. Unused to such sumptuous and plentiful food, her belly was distended and it felt like a rock was forming in her gut. She was surrounded by the most loathsome dregs of society but all she could do was rub her stomach and scowl.

Left alone with Maxwell, she felt it was perfectly understandable when he didn’t stick around for much longer either. He stumbled over an awkward excuse for why he suddenly needed to head back towards the house, and though it was obvious that he was really going to seek out more amicable company, she didn’t begrudge him for it. The pretty redhead was just too foul and miserable, and being in her presence was sucking whatever enjoyment there was to be found floating through the air. 

And so Ginny was alone when Voldemort arrived.

Like nearly everyone, she froze. Her heart felt like it stopped and started racing a mile a minute all at once. His pale, hairless skin, starkly contrasting against the midnight black robes to the extent that he fairly glowed, was unmistakable. A shudder went down her spine as she watched the way he floated through the crowd, and the way some partygoers threw themselves at his feet and ardently kissed his hand made her nauseous. When he addressed them all, his voice sliced through her bloodstream, turning it to ice. She stumbled to the edge of the woods, terrified that he should see her, and vomited at the trunk of a skinny birch tree. 

Wiping her mouth with the back of a trembling hand, she forced herself to look back once more. Lucius Malfoy was introducing him to people and as they made their way across the yard, a movement low to the ground caught her eye. Trailing behind them was his massive snake, Nagini. Her eyes went wide and her mouth fell open. She couldn’t take her eyes off it.

The Horcrux.

***


	5. Chapter 5

Though the girls couldn’t hear the rain which drizzled outside for the third day in a row from the confines of their windowless, secluded quarters, the damp nonetheless still seeped through the ancient walls of Malfoy Manor to leave Lavender and Luna incessantly chilled.

Lavender pulled out her wand and pointed it at the sputtering fire in the grate of their sparse little parlour. “ _Incendio._ ” Flames stretched high with renewed vigour, licking the mouth of the chimney chute. Lavender pulled a threadbare quilt from the back of an armchair and pulled it tight around her shoulders. “Brrrrrrr! I can’t get warm. These draughty rooms will be the death of me,” she whined. “How is there still a draught when there aren’t even _windows_?” As she spoke, she turned the burnt side of her face away from the heat of the hearth.

She plunked down onto the wooden chair across from Luna at the wobbly table where they took their meals. Luna slathered a thick layer of butter onto a crust of bread before dunking it in her pumpkin soup. It was April, and the past week had seen nasty weather, with blustery windstorms rattling the branches of the estate’s still leafless trees and a constant wet mist that penetrated the manor walls, getting into everyone’s bones.

“If a little damp can kill you, I am amazed that you’ve made it this far,” came a voice from the doorway. The girls whipped their heads round in unison to find Ginny shake their jailor’s grip off her upper arm before entering the room.

“ _Ginny!_ ”

Despite the bags under her eyes, she sported a wry smile.

Lavender and Luna both squealed, dumbfounded, and bolted out of their seats to embrace her, very nearly upturning the flimsy old table and chairs in the frenzy. Pocky, as they had taken to calling their disfigured jailor for lack of a better name, slipped into the parlour as well. “Her Highness has finally decided to play princess with you,” he sneered. “Took a while for the little snot to get sick of the rats, but apparently she does have a brain in that pigheaded ginger skull of hers after all. They all break eventually - didn’t I tell you so, eh Your Highness?” He leaned in and gripped Ginny’s upper arm once again as he said the last. She yanked her arm back, glaring at him with a look that blazed with deep animosity until he left. He cackled, carrying on as he left them, until they heard him disintegrate into a wheezing fit in the hallway.

“I’m so glad you’re here!” Lavender cried. Seeing the way Ginny shivered and seemed to hunch in on herself, she shrugged the quilt off her shoulders and threw it around Ginny’s instead. Her eyes were two dark smudges above pronounced cheekbones and as the girls shepherded their friend to a seat at the table, her walk was more of a shuffle than stride, but there was an edge of steel that glinted in her look. It seemed as though she held herself with an air of resolve rather than resignation. She plunked down into a chair at the rickety table.

“Is something wrong?” Luna studied her knowingly. “Well, more wrong than it was before. You know what I mean. What has happened?”

Ginny responded with a wide-eyed look of innocence before her attention was diverted by the enticing aroma of pumpkin soup from the half empty bowl sitting in front of her. She snatched up the bowl in both hands and, ignoring the spoon, lifted it up to her lips and drank it all down. She gasped for breath before going in and licking the bowl clean, then cleaned up stray breadcrumbs from the tabletop with the tip of a long index finger. Lavender and Luna shot each other a look, brows knitting together with concern.

When the final crumb had been found and savoured, Ginny leaned back with her eyes closed and a small sigh escaped from her lips. “I was hungry. Just...too hungry.”

She opened her eyes and gave them a thin lipped smile. “Sorry, did I just steal your lunch?”

Luna giggled, the sound tinkling out of her like a windchime in the breeze. Though she still had a sense that Ginny wasn’t giving them the whole story - the look in her eyes seemed somehow guarded - all the tension melted away out of the room. Luna hadn’t even realized she’d been tensing her shoulders until they relaxed back down.

Ginny sat up a little straighter and let her eyes roam around the parlour as if taking in their sparse surroundings for the first time. “Let’s give you the grand tour,” Lavender said, the sleeve of her robes waving through the air with a dramatic flourish of her arm. “This is the parlour. There used to be a coffee table over here, but we transfigured it into this chess set instead. We’ve gotten extremely good at chess since there’s not much else to do. We also have a deck of cards though so I hope you have some new games to teach us. Luna taught me some fun Muggle games. One’s called Spit and one’s called War.”

“Do you know how to play Rummy?” Luna added. “I have no idea what it is but it just sounds fun.”

Lavender walked the perimeter of the small space and continued to tell Ginny how they spent their time, which didn’t take long. She gestured for the other two to follow as she stepped out into the red carpeted hallway. “Don’t go down the stairs. There’s a border that’s been enchanted that starts there, so the landing’s as far as we can go. I’m not sure what will happen if you try to go beyond it, but it’s probably something awful.” She regarded the staircase with a frown before turning on her heel and continuing on. “The lavatory is here. And this one is the bedroom.” She did a double take, noticing a new addition. “Oh look, you’ve got your own bed! Oh that’s good, we’re already pretty cramped with just Luna and me in the double.”

Sure enough, the three of them stepped inside to find a fully made up cot placed beside the existing double bed. It made the room difficult to manoeuvre and they sidestepped around it, careful not to catch their shins on the frame. Ginny gingerly reached a hand to the cot, inching closer to it as if she were afraid it might bite. She bent down and slowly pressed her palm to the thin mattress almost reverently before easing herself down onto it. It was nowhere near like the featherbeds they were spoiled with at Hogwarts, but Luna remembered how awful it had been sleeping on straw in the dungeons and her heart swelled with empathy when Ginny’s eyes filled with tears. Her facade of resolve finally cracked.

Motioning discreetly, Lavender indicated they should give her some time and made to leave but Luna shook her head. She made her way to the other side of the cot, crawled onto it, and curled herself around Ginny. Pressing her face into a tangle of red hair, she put her arm around her friend and held her tight.

***

“There they are,” Venus waved emphatically as she spoke.

“Where?” Astoria turned and craned her neck.

Venus rolled her eyes. “There,” she pointed. “In front of Flourish and Blotts. You know, most people actually make an effort to look before asking ‘where’. You should try next time. Or have you suddenly gone blind? Do you need spectacles?”

Astoria whacked her and rain droplets spattered off her robes, hitting the cobblestones below. “That man’s umbrella was in the way. I couldn’t see.”

The girls had both forgotten to grab an umbrella before taking the Floo Network to meet up in Diagon Alley, so instead they were thankful for the deep hoods of their warm woolen overcloaks which kept them mostly dry. The _click-clack_ of their shoes was muffled by the damp as they made their way through the drizzle to join Blaise Zabini and the Carrow twins, Hestia and Flora.

“Suuuuure it was. We can pick you up a pair of specs while we’re here. There must be a place that sells them - not that I would know, perfect vision and all,” she ribbed.

They reached the other three in front of the bookshop where they used to bump into each other during the annual summer pilgrimage to collect their Hogwarts textbooks. Though it was spring, the weather was persisting with wet and grey days and the foliage was not yet blooming.

“All right, V? Stori?” Blaise greeted them with the nicknames they typically reserved only for each other. Hestia and Flora, slight young women with mousy brown hair who never smiled, simply nodded. The twins weren’t big talkers.

“Beautiful day, isn’t it?” Venus pronounced to the gang.

“You’re an odd duck, aren’t you?” Blaise gave her a sidelong look. He switched his umbrella into his other hand and shoved his now free cold hand into his pocket. “You say that without a hint of sarcasm.”

“She is a weirdo, that’s for sure,” Astoria chimed in. “She’s dead serious. V’s a monster, she loves gross weather.”

“I do! I love dreary, moody days. I don’t do well in sunshine. I wilt.”

“Like the rare and lovely flower that you are,” Blaise added, to her delight.

Now it was Astoria’s turn to roll her eyes. “Well I _don’t_ enjoy this. Come on,” she said. “Let’s go to Madame Primpernelle’s first.”

“Bugger that,” Blaise groaned. “Let’s go to Quality Quidditch Supplies instead.”

“After.”

“But it’s closer!”

“We don’t care,” Venus proclaimed, one eyebrow raised. “Do we ladies?”

Hestia and Flora shared a glance and shrugged in unison. Astoria mouthed sorry to Blaise who let out an exaggerated wail. Venus, triumphant, gave him a wink and put her arm through his. She had an extra pep in her step as they set off at the head of the group and soon they were far enough ahead to be out of earshot, though she was significantly shorter than him and had to hurry her pace to keep up with his long legs. Looking up at him under her long dark eyelashes with a sweet smile, he couldn’t help but smile in turn. Her face was alight with pleasure; she positively glowed whenever she got her way.

“I hope you can forgive me,” she said, face upturned to his. He bent his ear closer so that her voice tickled his ear. “It’s stayed so chilly I feel as though I’m never warm. I’ve been taking long, hot baths every day.” He caught her eye and grew a devilish half grin and cocked an eyebrow. “I want to go to Madame Primpernelle’s for some oils for the bath that will make my skin soft, and, oh, they smell so good. And some body lotion for after. I always rub lotion all over after a bath.”

“Do you now?” was all he managed to reply. His eyes smouldered.

“Yes, it feels amazing.”

“I can imagine.”

“You can help me pick out a scent. What do you like?”

“I like how you smell right now.”

She turned her face away, affecting shyness. “Sandalwood it is.”

The afternoon passed pleasantly. After the beauty parlor, the gang humoured Blaise, doubling back the way they’d come to check out the latest Quidditch supplies and other sporting equipment. Next they stopped for ice cream, then stocked up on sweets and funny little prank charms at Wizard Wheezes (formerly owned by the Weasley twins, though Venus had to admit the new owner’s creations were not as clever).

At the Carrow twins’ suggestion, they’d also gone to replenish potion supplies at the Apothecary. As they were leaving, laden with bags full of shopping from a successful day up and down the Alley, Venus couldn’t help but overhear Hestia quietly complain to her sister about the Apothecary’s poor selection of rare and dangerous ingredients.

“That place hasn’t changed a bit since the war. It’s ridiculous. The Dark Lord is finally in power and the Dark Arts are celebrated, so why is it so hard to find so-called “forbidden” ingredients? They’re not forbidden anymore,” she huffed under her breath.

Flora consulted a scrap of parchment drawn from her pocket. “We still need powdered unicorn horn,” she muttered, eyebrows knitted together.

The group was now meandering aimlessly on the cobblestone street and Venus inched closer to the twins, lowering her voice to match their conspiratorial tone. “I couldn’t help but overhear,” she whispered. “You know as well as I do that unicorn horn is hard to find, no matter who is in power. Of course,” she glanced at Astoria who was chattering away with Blaise up ahead. _She won’t thank me for this_ she thought before internally shrugging and pressing on. “Knockturn Alley is always worth a shot.”

Hestia and Flora shared a look and the ghost of a smile threatened to tug their lips up at the corners. “Exactly what we were thinking,” Flora spoke for them both.

Venus grinned. “Awesome. Oi, Stori, Blaise!” The pair slowed their pace, glancing over their shoulders with expectant expressions. Venus dipped her head toward the twins, “Borgin is a family friend. If anyone knows how to get taboo items into Britain, it’s him.

We’re going to Borgin and Burkes in Knockturn Alley,” she informed Blaise and Astoria. Astoria let out a dramatic groan.

“Noooo,” she whined. “It’s so gross down there!”

“Don’t be a baby. That’s where all the exciting stuff is hiding. We’re going.”

“Wicked,” Blaise said.

“You got that right,” Venus replied archly. She quickly overtook them all, practically skipping in her enthusiasm to boldly lead the way to the dank and clausterphobic wynd. Astoria continued a steady stream of incessant protests but Venus refused to dignify it with any sort of acknowledgement, leaving the unfortunate Blaise to, rather inadequately, placate the girl.

Turning down Knockturn Alley, the many-storeyed buildings towered on either side and seemed to lean, reaching their tops towards each other as if to shield nefarious goings on below from the accusatory light of day. Venus never tired of this place. Her eyes whipped to and fro, eagerly drinking it all in: the dripping crooked edifices with barred windows and vulgar graffiti splatters, a fat rat scurrying by in the gutter, a shop with an iron maiden on display in the window, grizzled and stooped witches and wizards beckoning or hissing in turn from their unlicensed kiosks. The twins stopped at one such table overflowing with wares. Its trinkets and vials dumped carelessly in piles, they peered intently at the various powders.

“The colour doesn’t look right on any of them,” Flora said. She made to pick up a vial with a cracked stopper, but Venus put a hand on her arm, stopping her. The owner was a witch with nearly no teeth, which was made plain by the fact that she had her head thrown back and mouth wide open as she snored in her chair on the other side of the table. Most likely it was all junk, if the seller couldn’t be bothered to keep an eye on it. But still, you never know what could happen if you go around touching things in Knockturn Alley.

“We’re nearly at Borgin’s,” she said. “Come on.”

When they reached the store, it was busier than Venus had ever seen it. She grabbed a twin’s hand, not caring which one, and towed her behind on a purposeful mission. They squeezed in between people to reach the back of the store where Borgin stood behind the counter, counting galleons and bagging a purchase for a customer. Venus caught his eye and cracked a broad smile. “Miss Argaunt!” he exclaimed. “What a pleasure to see you back in my shop. It’s been too long. How are you finding _A History of Dark Wizards in the Eastern Hemisphere_?”

She strode right to the counter past a handful of other customers who were waiting to pay without sparing them a glance, causing a stir of disdainful muttering in her wake. “Musty and falling apart. But completely fascinating,” Venus replied with a winning smile, referring to the book she picked up from him last time her family visited the shop together.

“Excellent, excellent,” Borgin said. He shushed the other customers and gestured at them to wait with a scowl. “If its state is affecting readability, I can reverse the book’s deterioration. Bring it to the shop, don’t try to charm it back together yourself. Its history isn’t entirely known so-”

“You never know what curses or hexes might be triggered,” she finished his sentence. “I know, I know. I do listen to you. That’s not why I’m here though, I like how dessicated it is, it adds to the charm. This is my friend Flora Carrow-” she threw out a name, not knowing or caring which twin she pushed forward- “She’s on the hunt for some unicorn horn powder. I told her if there’s any to be had in Britain, it would be got from you!”

“A Carrow you say? Ah yes, I do recognize you,” he said, turning his attention to Flora/Hestia. The other twin caught up and creeped silently to hover beside her sister. “Give me ten minutes, and we’ll talk business.” He snapped his fingers at the next customer, who huffed and edged past them to the counter at last.

Venus winked at the twins. “And now, it’s playtime for me!”

Her heart soared. She was truly in her element weaving up and down aisles towering with mysterious dark objects and specimens, history unknown. She only wished there weren’t so many people - she normally had the run of this place, and it irked her that she was forced to squeeze by strangers ogling the goods in order to get a good look for herself. She supposed the uptick in business was a given with the Dark Lord in power. She was pleased to see the Dark Arts being celebrated and was happy for Borgin to have a boom in business, but on the other hand she made a note to bring it up with her parents later and float the idea of arranging private shopping visits in future to avoid the inconvenience of...people.

One of which was standing directly in her way and blocking her view of a glass case that she knew contained beautifully dangerous jewellery. To the untrained eye, it might look like a tumbled mess of tarnished junk, but turn your head just so and you catch a glint of light bouncing off gemstones of every colour. With the last Choosing ball of the year fast approaching, Venus wanted to end her first season out with a bang. Craning her neck to see around the elegantly dressed man, she hardly registered the supreme quality of his emerald- coloured crushed velvet robes. She only had eyes for a thick collar-style necklace in the shape of a snake made of solid obsidian with glittering diamonds for eyes. Unlike a standard looped necklace, the ends did not meet on this one - instead, the tail and head were meant to lie flat just below the collarbone, as if you had draped the serpent around your neck.

Good grief he was taking his time. The man clearly just came in from outside - he dried raindrops off his robes with the tip of his wand and finally pulled back his hood. Long, platinum blonde hair spilled around his shoulders.

“Lucius,” Venus blurted out, then promptly blushed at her own impertinence. He turned, looking as startled as she felt, but his expression just as quickly rearranged itself into one of pleasure.

“What a delightful surprise. How are you, my dear?” he asked, quickly adding, “And your family? I hope everyone is well.” He spared a momentary glance around the store, ostensibly to look for them.

“I am well, and they are too, thank you for asking,” she spewed politely, even if she was speaking a little too fast. She swallowed, urging her flushed cheeks to cool it. “They’re not here,” she explained with a dismissive flick of her wrist. She tossed her long loose hair over her shoulder, tilting her head and unconsciously exposing the white of her neck. “What brings you here?”

He smiled mysteriously. There was something knowing behind his eyes that Venus couldn’t quite put a finger on. “Oh, I thought I’d pick up some baubles to give away at the ball. I like to celebrate by giving gifts.”

“I can’t believe the last Choosing of the season is only a fortnight away,” Venus frowned a little and gazed off into the middle distance.

“Indeed, I found this year passed by exceptionally fast,” he paused, studying her intently. “I insist that you reserve a dance for me.”

Startled, Venus’s eyes shot up to meet his. So pale, like half melted icicles as the sun breaks through the clouds. She tilted her head in acquiescence. “Of course.”

For a moment they didn’t speak. Lucius finally let his eyes fall back upon the case of tarnished jewellery and loose gemstones. Venus followed his gaze. He tapped a finger on the glass, drawing her attention to an enormous sapphire set into a choker necklace dotted with smaller twinkling diamonds, but the band was so severely oxidized it was unrecognizable as silver. “What do you think about this one?”

“Hmm,” she considered, narrowing her eyes and trying to picture it cleaned up. “That is the most extravagant piece on display. I wonder how cursed it is? That would impact my assessment.”

“For better or worse?”

“The more cursed, the better in my books.”

“Marvelous. It’s extremely dangerous.”

“You know its backstory?!” Venus’s attention ripped from the necklace and eagerly shot to Lucius. She stared up at him, hungrily anticipating the details.

“I do,” he settled down to lean on the case, bringing his face closer to hers. “This necklace gives its wearer the ability to kill a man with a single look. If you wear it, and even for a moment wish harm on a certain person and they are in your presence, they will die. Slowly enough that they’ll know it was you who killed them. It’s called Lover’s Trust.”

Venus returned her gaze to the necklace and its massive sapphire and let that sink in. “Wow,” she breathed. “You’re saying I don’t even need to master the Unforgivable Curses - I could wear this and kill anyone. Buy it, put it on, walk outside, and kill a person.”

“Well, no,” he shifted his weight as he spoke and his words seemed heavy with significance. “It can only kill someone you’ve…” he trailed off, making a gesture with his hand and raising his eyebrows like she should know what he was referring to. Catching the blank look on her face, he straightened his shoulders and looked at her with his icy grey eyes. “It has to be a lover. Someone you’ve...been intimate with.”

“Oh,” Venus felt a flutter in her tummy as it clicked. _Lucius Malfoy just mentioned sex to me in casual conversation_. Flustered and not knowing how else to respond, she avoided sputtering by projecting a confidence and nonchalance she didn’t truly feel. “Well, curse aside. It could very easily end up looking gaudy if you paired it with anything else remotely...well, _that_ extra.”

“Oh, come on,” he teased, going along with the way she abruptly changed the tone of the conversation. “You could pull it off.”

“It’s a bit much. Too much to actually wear out. You can’t pair it with anything - no dress will do it justice. Plus, nobody wants to look like they’re _trying_ to get attention.”

He tried to suppress a smirk and cleared his throat. “Well, which do you like?” He gestured to the display.

“The snake,” her expression went dreamy as she leaned in to get a closer look. “I love it. I’m getting it.”

“Let me guess: you want it for the ball.”

She gave him a look out of the corner of her eye and flashed the cheeky smile of someone who knows they are spoiled rotten, and unabashedly loves it.

He chuckled. “It’s been an enjoyable season this year. I imagine you’ll be sorry to see it all come to an end?”

“Yes,” she replied automatically and straightened up, but then looked down at her hands and fiddled with the handle of her shopping bag. “Well...I don’t know. To be candid, it is a little nerve-wracking. The waiting. And not knowing.”

There was no need to elaborate; it was clear Venus was speaking of the Choosing ceremony itself, where the pureblood wizards in attendance would have the opportunity of choosing a bride. They both knew she was up for grabs.

He eyed her, rubbing the silver snake head of his walking stick with the pad of his thumb. “You’ll have a score of wizards asking for you. You can have your pick.”

Venus felt her cheeks burn and she knew that they were pink again. “A score,” she echoed quietly. She added in an even lower voice, “But what if the one I want isn’t among them…”

“Nonsense,” he stated. It rang with an air of certainty that did much to soothe her jitters.

“V! There you are,” Astoria rounded a corner into sight, curls bouncing, Blaise not far behind as they approached. “Can we leave? You’ve had your fun and I’m over it. We’ve been walking around forever and this place smells. Oh,” she noticed Lucius and stopped her blathering. “Mr. Malfoy, what a pleasure. Is Draco with you?” Astoria smoothed the front of her robes and plastered on a serene, unconcerned look as if she wasn’t just whining like a little snot. Venus would have rolled her eyes but she didn’t want Lucius to catch her also being a little snot. After a second of annoyance, however, Venus realized with a start that she never even thought to ask after Draco.

“Good to see you as well, Miss Greengrass. No Draco today, it’s just me I’m afraid,” he greeted her with grace and nodded a hello to Blaise. Turning back to Venus he said, “I’ve monopolized you enough for one day. Thank you for indulging me with your stimulating conversation once again, Miss Argaunt. Always a pleasure. I’ll see you - and the snake? - at The Choosing,” he lightly grasped her hand and made a small, tasteful bow.

“Good day,” he nodded to Astoria and Blaise.

“Good day,” they echoed. They watched him walk away, emerald robes billowing in his wake before disappearing out the door and out of sight.

“That was weird,” Blaise stated.

Venus turned her face away, hiding her satisfaction. Satisfied by what, though? Nothing was certain. Draco may yet pass her over for Astoria after all and, sure, Blaise wanted her, but she doubted he wanted her enough to stand up before everyone and claim her in two weeks' time. She knew one thing though.

“We can leave,” she said letting her eyes drift back to the obsidian snake and a smile drift over her lips. “After one more purchase.”

***


End file.
